A specific transactional mail product was the initial driver for investing in the Tecnau equipment. The company had a significant investment in aged sheet-fed monochrome toner devices to produce this type of mail piece. “However, we had a desire to modernize it and make it more efficient. It was a costly process,” stated Mr. Keene, “Furthermore, our customers wanted us to inject more color in some of these products.” Suttle-Straus initially invested in an inkjet system for transactional mail, but the system also produces millions of direct mail pieces each year.

To improve this process, Suttle-Straus initially purchased the Ricoh Pro VC70000 Inkjet Press and then two subsequent purchases over a one-year period of Tecnau equipment included the Revolution 50 Roll-to-Roll with the TC 1550 HS1 Dynamic Perforator, along with offline Stack 2320 and Stack 5251L cut/stack systems. “With the Tecnau line, we were able to take the printed rolls and process them to sheet form efficiently and get them to the next step,” said Brett Keene. The company also had an MBO folder, but purchased a pressing unit for it from Tecnau through Tecnau’s partnership with Pasquariello Graphics. The folder was integrated with the Tecnau Cutter c23. “It was a natural integration that went very, very well,” proclaimed Keene.

The Tecnau Revolution 50 Roll-to-Roll reliably unwinds and rewinds rolls across many different applications, and the inkjet press keeps running. It features adjustable controls to accommodate a wide range of tensions required for various types of papers to be run by high-speed color inkjet presses, such as the Ricoh Pro VC70000. It is center-shaft driven, rewinding rolls at speeds up to 820 feet per minute (250 m/min), making it ideal for commercial print applications. This reliable equipment can run for an extended period of time with minimal intervention, maximizing a press investment.

Suttle-Straus also purchased the TC 1550 HS1 Dynamic Perforator. This device processes each page within a job individually in response to a 2D Datamatrix code on the page, and perforates in both cross-web and running directions. Suttle-Straus utilizes the Tecnau TC 1550 HS1 Dynamic Perforator for a number of applications, including transactional and direct mail products. For transactional mail, the company uses it to add dynamic perforations to the remittance sections of statement sets. For direct mail applications, Suttle-Straus leverages its perforator for various tear-off features.

Finally, the Suttle-Straus solution includes a pair of offline cut/stack systems. The older-generation Tecnau Stack 2320 provides cost-effective feeding of sheets to the folder, for creation of buckle-folded output. The latest-generation Revolution 50 Stack 5251L system operates inline with or offline from web-fed digital inkjet printers at speeds up to 525 ft/min (160 m/min) depending on the user environment. Suttle-Straus has chosen to operate cut/stacks offline from the press. The Stack 5251L line includes the Stacker s51L “Long” stacker, capable of stacking sheets up to 30” long along with solid handling of challenging heavy-paper, heavy-ink-coverage applications. The systems deliver 1-up, 2-up, 3-up or 4-up offset stacks with variable full bleed cuts.

The Tecnau equipment reduced the number of hand-offs in the manufacturing process and has enabled Suttle-Straus to scale its business. “It not only resulted in vastly improved cycle time for projects, but also allowed me to open up capacity on other equipment, helping us to grow revenue,” stated Mr. Keene. Furthermore, Suttle-Straus was able to enhance the use of its workforce. “We reduced cycle time 30%-40%,” proclaimed Brett. By opening up capacity, the Suttle-Straus sales team was given the opportunity to source additional work and larger projects. Project caps were hundreds of thousands pieces and now they are millions. “We no longer have the “have-the-job-but-can’t-get-it-done-in-time” issue anymore. Lead times are 30% - 50% less,” declared Keene. By streamlining the process and reducing the number of steps, the company has become even more competitive in the marketplace.

When selecting the Tecnau equipment, a key factor was the relationship with the company. Suttle-Straus had a longstanding relationship with the Tecnau representative from previous equipment purchases he facilitated for the company, so there was already a strong foundation of trust in place.

The pre-sales process included a variety of subject matter experts, and many tools, such as CAD drawings. This enabled the Suttle-Straus team to see how the equipment was going to sit and how the team would interact with it. Also, Tecnau assisted with the electrical requirements for the equipment.

Since the equipment acquisition, the Tecnau service and quality of the equipment have been superior. “We package relationship, service, and quality together and overall, it has been very, very strong. It makes for a natural winner,” said Mr. Keene. While price was a factor, the three considerations above held much greater importance to Suttle-Straus when deciding to purchase the Tecnau equipment.

The onsite Tecnau trainer was praised for his subject matter expertise as well as his ability to communicate with the Suttle-Straus team. “I felt this was a shining moment for Tecnau,” stated Brett. The trainer stayed at the printing facility after installation to see how everything was running mechanically, to determine if the operators were acclimating, and to see the work that was produced.

Throughout the process, the Tecnau and Ricoh teams worked in sync. Suttle-Straus considers them a true partnership. “They were not just trying to sell us equipment we did not need. They wanted to make sure we had the right solution. The companies are in lock step with our needs operationally and strategically,” declared Mr. Keene.